3M claims that it has produced the world's first one-piece packaging system that provides impact absorption, eliminating the need for additional packaging materials. Protective Packaging eliminates the need for other packaging parts to protect electronics items. The packaging is designed for "fragility packaging" applications, ranging from memory cards and hard-disk drives through to TVs and laptops. It can be customised and is available in two closure options: clamshell and a box. The latter is expected to be particularly attractive to the electronics industry due to its ease of use and the level of impact absorption its design provides. The "one click to close" mechanism makes the package secure: there is no need for additional internal packaging materials or an external carton to hold the pack together. Should the product be dropped, the packaging will absorb the impact and will also revert to its original shape. According to independent testing, when a 15inch laptop housed in the box-style packaging was dropped from a height of 1m onto a concrete surface, the g force experienced over 10 consecutive drops was less than 50% of that at which the product is expected to survive. The packaging can also reduce pack volume by up to 50%, while cutting storage and transport costs. It removes the need for additional packing materials, such as foam, expanded polystyrene, bubble wrap or loose fill, thus helping to minimise potential waste and assembly costs. It can be manufactured from a variety of thermoplastic sheet material—including 100% recycled material—and, when high-density polyethylene is used, supports 100% recycling. It can also be designed for packaging re-use.
